Southampton

Southampton's population expanded in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, ethnicity and health.

The population reached nearly 240,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Southampton increased by 8.9%, from just over 217,000 to 237,000.

The addition of about 19,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Southampton was home to, on average, 34 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This made it the South East's second-most densely-populated unitary authority.

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Southampton

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Southampton decreased by one year, from 33 to 32 years.

This city had the third-lowest average age in the South East and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 6,300 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by about 900.

About 22% of people in Southampton are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Southampton by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

Southampton saw the South East's largest rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple.

In 2011, just under one in nine (11%) households in Southampton had an unmarried couple, compared with 8.9% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising just one person remained close to 34%.

Across the region, Dover saw the next largest increase in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple (from 8.1% in 2001 to 10% in 2011).

During this period, Southampton went from having the 22nd-highest to the 11th-highest percentage of cohabiting households out of 309 English local authority areas.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple was higher than across the South East

Percentage of households that had an unmarried couple across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Southampton working less than 16 hours increased from 2.5% to 4.2% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 11 (8.9%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 13% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 2.1% in 2001 to 3.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Southampton increased by 1.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Southampton, the South East and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Southampton

The percentage of Southampton residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.8% to 3.3% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 19 (5.4%) reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 5.6% in 2001. The percentage of Southampton residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 92% to 91%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 2.5% in 2001 to 3.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Southampton at a faster rate than across the South East.

In Southampton, the proportion of private renting increased from 16% in 2001 to 25% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 10% to 16%.

Across the South East, the share of privately rented homes increased from 10% to 16%.

The rate of social housing in Southampton fell from 24% to 23%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 57% to 50%.

Private renting in Southampton increased by 8.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Southampton, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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